1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical tool holding devices, and, more particularly, to medical instrument handles such as broach or rasp handles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Total hip replacement involving the use of a hip stem prosthesis requires that the proximal internal geometry of the femur be prepared to receive the hip stem. This involves the removal of the cancellous tissue contained in the proximal femur in order to present a geometry closely approximating that of the hip stem. This is achieved by reciprocally impacting and retracting broaches into the cancellous tissue (bone) with sufficient mechanical force to remove the bone. A series of rasps or broaches are employed to achieve this. These are conventionally applied using a rasp handle, to which the rasps are fitted and mechanically secured. Rasps are fitted and mechanically secured. Such instruments are reusable and must be sterilized between uses. Thus, a broach or rasp is a medical device that is used to prepare a bone to receive an implant. A broach or rasp handle is a medical device that can be used to hold the broach or rasp while a surgeon holds the broach or rasp handle. The broach or rasp handle has components that are used to engage and to disengage the broach or rasp. Rasp handles generally incorporate a mechanical linkage which secures and locks the rasp to the handle. The mechanism is often partially exposed from the body of the rasp handle, which enables ingress of blood, bone, and other particulates into the body of the handle. Such materials may adhere and dry in and on the mechanism before cleaning procedures begin, making subsequent cleaning and sterilization procedure difficult.
A femur rasp fastener is known in which a linkage is pivotally connected to a frame by way of a pivot shaft. The linkage includes a handle and a pivot head with a fulcrum arm that is pivotally connected to a suspension bar. The linkage is a single piece. No part of the linkage is separable from the pivot shaft in normal operation. This can make cleaning and sterilizing the femur rasp fastener difficult.
What is needed in the art is a broach handle having components which can be easily cleaned and/or sterilized.